An Invitation to Rest
I’m ashamed to admit that I once moved an entire sofa from our second-story master bedroom to our first-floor living room all by myself. There I was, fumbling it awkwardly down the hall, thinking of how impressed my husband would be that he’d married a wife who was fully capable on her own.
When my husband got home later that night, he was surprised that I’d lifted the sofa myself, but he also noticed something I didn’t—the drywall was noticeably damaged near the steps.
“You know, I could have carried that for you,” he said softly.
If we’re not careful, we can live our spiritual lives the same way. We look at the mountains in front of us—the challenging job, the hard relationship, the valley experience, or motherhood and marriage—and conclude that we’ve got what it takes to shoulder the load. We’re fully capable on our own.
And since we are capable, we don’t talk to God regularly or with intensity. We don’t pray for his strength, guidance, or comfort. We struggle needlessly with burdens he never intended for us to carry and find our souls worn out, weary, and damaged. We depend on the world’s wisdom to weather the changing seasons of motherhood, but when we lay our heads down at night, we’re exhausted and empty.
On the outside, we may look fine, but inside, we’re shouldering spiritual sofas.
Good News for the Weak and Weary
The antidote to our dilemma can only be found in surrender to Jesus. A couple thousand years ago, Jesus extended this invitation to the townspeople of Galilee, as recorded in the gospel of Matthew:
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matt. 11:28–30)
Note that the strong, the self-sufficient, and the capable aren’t included in this invitation. Jesus calls “all who labor”—those weary and exhausted from work and grief. He calls the “heavy laden”—those tortured by their own conscience because they know the demands of the Mosaic law and their inability to measure up. Jesus calls sinners who need a Savior into rest.
This rest is two-fold. First, it is an eternal rest. Jesus’ death on the cross satisfied the wrath of God, the deserved consequence for the sin of humanity. His perfect life, unjust death, and glorious resurrection fulfilled the demands of the Mosaic law, enabling forever rest in God. As a result, those who believe in his perfect atonement for sin are free from the penalty of sin and the weight of a guilty conscience. Christ’s sacrifice frees us from condemnation to eternal rest in him.[1] Amen!
And yet, it is also daily rest for the weary. Jesus invites us to learn from his character, namely his gentleness and humility, and in doing so to experience the rest that comes from a life of surrender. To those of us shouldering spiritual sofas, Jesus humbly offers his limitless strength.
Jesus: Our Example of Rest
There is no clearer picture of what it means to rest in God than Jesus himself. Jesus’ earthly life is a picture of total dependence on his Father. Despite being fully divine and fully human, Jesus regularly prayed.
He often withdrew to lonely places to pray.[2]
He often prayed before performing miracles including raising Lazarus from the dead.[3]
He prayed as he died on the cross.[4]
Scripture testifies that Jesus is indeed, “gentle and lowly in heart” as he claims (Matt. 11:29).
Jesus also accepted the limitations and weakness of his human frame. He experienced physical needs and emotions just like us.
He sat down when he was tired.[5]
He slept when he was exhausted.[6]
He cried when he was sad.[7]
Jesus lived within the human limitations his heavenly Father had lovingly given. And by living within those limits, both physical and spiritual, he modeled for us the perfect rest God intended for humanity.
But First, Repentance
Before Jesus offered rest to the weary in Matthew 11, he rebuked the unrepentant. Scripture tells us:
... Jesus began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” (Matt. 11:20–21)
Jesus pronounced judgment against entire cities that witnessed his divine power and chose their own strength. They had seen his “mighty works,” but instead of repentance, they chose independence. They rejected the rest Jesus offered, preferring instead to carry their own sofas. And as a result, Jesus rightly condemned them to the judgment they deserve.
May it not be so for us.
Are we weak and worn out after long days spent caring for little ones? Let us come to Jesus daily for rest and renewal.
Are we discouraged by our own inadequacy as we disciple headstrong adolescents to love Jesus? Let us trust in Jesus completely as our righteousness and believe he will produce fruit from our faithfulness.
Are we depending on our own wisdom to change the hearts of our adult children? Let us repent often of our perceived strength and embrace Jesus who has compassion on our weakness.
Let us put down our heavy sofas in exchange for the light yoke of a kind and gentle Savior. Deep, soul-satisfying, life-giving rest is available right now, if only we would receive it.
[1] Romans 8:1–2
[2] Luke 5:16
[3] John 14:41–42
[4] Matthew 27:46
[5] John 4:6
[6] Mark 4:25
[7] Luke 19:41
